Reports: Junior Colton Iverson granted release from Gophers

Junior center Colton Iverson has been granted a release from the Gophers men’s basketball team, according to several reports.

The team has yet to announce the news, but Iverson confirmed he is leaving in an email to the Star Tribune.

“I just want to say that my experience at the U has been great, but my family and I [have] decided that it is best for me to move on,” Iverson wrote in the email. “Minnesota is a proud program, and I wish them the best of luck in the future.”

The 6-foot-10-inch, 258-pound Iverson averaged 5.4 points and five rebounds per game in the 2010-11 season. He started 11 of the Gophers’ 31 games last year and played 18.4 minutes per game. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

If Iverson transfers to another Division I program, he will have to sit out a season due to NCAA rules. He can play at a Division II or III school next season.

Iverson is the third player from coach Tubby Smith’s first recruiting class to leave Minnesota. Devoe Joseph transferred to Oregon in January, and Paul Carter left to be closer to his family after the 2009-10 season.

Iverson’s departure likely means freshman center Mo Walker will see an expanded role as a sophomore next season. Redshirt freshman Elliott Eliason will also help fill in for the loss of the Yankton, S.D. native.

The Gophers are now left with just two seniors next season, and Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson are both considering their NBA draft prospects.